Social Studies Books

This story gave me tears of sadness and tears of joy. While it is heartbreaking to learn of all the abuse Sheila has endured, it is
heartwarming to know that SOMEONE took the time and effort to encourage her and to reach out to her. This book is a wonderful testament to the power of love and the human spirit.

I'm half-way through this book and I LOVE it so far!! I'm in school to become a teacher and we're reading this book. It has opened my eyes!!!

My second book by Torey Hayden, but definitely not my last.

ONE CHILD is the story of Sheila, a young girl who was abandoned on the side of a highway by her mother. Now the charge of her drunken father, Sheila is wild, sometimes crazy, and never cries.

What follows after her arrival in Ms. Hayden's classroom (following an incident that is truly chilling) is the relationship that grows, in a short period of time, between Sheila and Torey.

A very good but emotional read. I highly recommend it, and also recommend picking up a copy of The Tiger's Child, which is the continuation of Sheila's story.

At age six, Sheila had already endured a lifetime of horrors. Her mother abandoned her on a highway at age four; her alcoholic father neglected and traumatized her. Thus, it was scarcely a shock to anyone when the coarse, hate-filled child attacked a three-year-old boy, nearly burning him to death.

At such a tender age, Sheila's fate seemed inevitable - a lifetime in a psychiatric ward. Yet while the state awaited placement, they decided to put her in Hayden's special needs classroom.

Initially skeptical of a child with such a background, Hayden nonetheless did her best. Quickly, she glimpsed an intensely intelligent child, who longed for love and acceptance.

This wasn't to say it was an easy job. Nor was there any fairy-tale ending. Often, Sheila went into uncontrollable rages, damaging property, once even throttling pet gerbils when she perceived she had been wronged. Yet after glimpsing the inner Sheila, Torey Hayden refused to give up on her.

Then one day, several months after Sheila arrived in Hayden's classroom, the teacher received a call -- the psychiatric hospital was ready for Sheila. Despite having made a breakthrough with the child, would Sheila's life really be taken away before she had a chance to start it?

As always, Hayden's stories about the children with whom she has worked are deeply moving and memorable. By no means does she attempt to portray herself as a miracle worker; she freely admits her mistakes along with her triumphs as she merely dedicates her life to helping turn young lives around.

Readers interested in learning more about Sheila may be interested in the sequel, The Tiger's Child, which picks up when the girl is 13 and recently reunited with Hayden.

I heard about this book during am assembly and needed a book to read for my english project so i chose this book. Im not a huge fan of non fiction but this book was just amazing!! the writing style the author had made me want to read it more and more and it made me be like woah i cant believe this actually could have happened. I recommend this book to anyone!

1. How to be clever enough not to marry at all ? (People told me: "Don't do it", but I tought I was clever...)
2. When you are married how to get rid of her with minimum of negative effects to the child and minimum costs.

Problem: This book would like that you think that you can have happy marriage with women = sorry, it's impossible, but if you want ... well, keep on trying, (ha,ha, ha, ...)

This is a must read for men who desire to better understand their better half. It's a quick, easy read that explains what men don't get about their significant other.

I think that this would be good for both Christians and Non-Christians alike! Such a great book!

j

In order for any relationship to succeed, you need to understand each other. For almost 20 years my wife would irritate something awful, and we were on the verge of a divorce in 2007.

I'm not going to say something goofy like 'this book saved our marriage' but this and it's companion book for women are definitely a good tool to have if you're interested in working on your relationship.

The key word is work. If you're not both willing to work at it, it's pretty much hopeless. If you are, this is a good read.

Women will often say, "Men! They just don't get it". Well now you can. Find out why women SEEM to say one thing, but mean another. Armed with this information and acting upon it, you can be sure to see improvement in your love relationship. But gals, it's a two-way street! I also recommend the companion book, "For Women Only".

I have always been skeptical of the idea that women can be understood. However, after reading this book, I now have a very good understanding of how my wife's brain works.

This book is written specifically for men, and so it is organized and written in a tone we understand and appreciate. I am a slow reader who gets distracted easily, but this book I could not put down. It is very well written. You will read it and very frequently think, "Wow! That makes perfect sense!"

I started using what I learned in this book right away, and it has helped my marriage tremendously!

I had the hardest time figuring out why my wife always asked if I loved her, even though I say "I love you" all the time, and why she feels alone when I'm right there in the same room doing the same activities with her. This book makes sense of otherwise confusing things about women.

I would have gladly paid double the price for this book after having read it.

So stop getting frustrated at your wife or significant other, and buy this book, read it, and use your knowledge to make your life, and hers, much better! You'll be glad you did!

This book teaches you how to discover and cherish your value and self-worth, learn what real love looks like, and become the woman God has called you to be! Wonderful book!

I can't say enough great things about this book, and the author! I first read this in a small study group with some other single girlfriends. There are questions in the back, which I think are great for on your own or in a group. She really challenges you to re-think the "rules" of dating. I applied the principles in my life and years later I'm happily married with 2 beautiful children - and wouldn't have wanted to do it any other way. Had I continued down the same destructive dating path I always had (ignoring the principles), I don't think I'd be where I am today. I've given a copy of this book to just about every single girlfriend I have!

I loved this book from beginning to end. I bought it @ barnes and nobles for a great price also. she is and amazing woman and writer.highly recommend for all christian woman who truly love the word of God.

I found this to be a very down to earth book with practical advice. I have begun applying some of Michelle's principles and am finding that they really do work. Recently divorced after 28 years of marriage, I was a little unsure of how to approach dating again. I am now in a new relationship. This handy reference has helped my self assurance and I am using my power much more effectively than I ever would have otherwise. Thanks, Michelle!

I stumbled upon this book and am so glad I did.

The author has an obvious love and passion for Jesus and a desire to tell others about how to be a godly and virtuous woman. Forget "The Rules" - Read and apply the principals outlined in the book and fall in love with the Savior. In a culture that forces one to immediate gratification, this book will inspire and motivate you to pray for your husband to FIND you ("He who finds a wife finds a good thing") while you are pursuing God's plan for your life. In addition to inspiring single women, this book also encourages married women and provides practical advice to becoming an irresistable wife.

The book is easy to read, humorous, points to Jesus, scripturally based and applicable for today. I like the use of scriptural stories which illustrate not only how to be a godly and faith inspired woman, but how the scriptures are truely timeless and relevant. She also starts each chapter with a prayer - beautiful, powerful and authentic prayer - preparing the heart of the reader to greater faith.

Hill's book truly gives you words to live by. Realism, faith and hope in the future are the key themes of this book. As a reader, you are looking into the world of a young person trying and seeking to find his path. Gladly, Hill picks up the baton that was thrown to him by his mentors of the past and follows through by showing this youth a new way of thinking and living. His advice is so pure and genuine that it crosses the boundaries of gender and race--this is something that all folks need to hear! This book is the ultimate self help guide for those who have lost their way, need to find their way or need an affirmation that they are well on their way. Harper's words are definitely needed and should be cherished.

Preach on Brother Harper! Preach on!

I have a 12 yr old son that has been going through some rough times at school with wanting to do well, but being teased for it. Junior High is/was/will always be a tough time. My son and I read this book together and then discussed anything we felt needed discussing. He started to feel "normal" knowing that a lot of people were experiencing the same things as him, even celebrities like Will Smith, someone he looks up to. I HIGHLY suggest this book to boys of any race. Thank you Hill Harper!!!!

I bought this book for my 17 year old son. I suggest anyone with a teenage son, good or bad purchase this book.

I picked this book up because it was chosen as THE Best Book for Young People by the American Library Association for 2007. That is quite an endorsement. I had never heard of the author or seen his TV show.

"Letters to a Young Brother: MANifest Your Destiny" was outstanding! I wish I could put a copy in every single young person's hands. While the title implies that the book is especially relevant title for young black males, anyone would find this book inspirational.

I loved hearing about Hill's grandfathers and family life. The way he described what could be learned in a single-parent household was so lovingly described and unusual to hear. I also respected how vulnerable the author made himself by sharing his mistakes. The stories create incredibly powerful and interesting lessons.

This is a great gift to give to any young man between ages 14-20.

This book is easy to read. It's a must for any young man (not just black men). I read it before passing it on to my son. I then purchased for several other young men as well. I would HIGHLY recommend these life lessons.

12 Secrets fills a big need for creatively-bent women to hear how other creative women become successful following their inspirations and fascinations. Because I didn't have a strong creative female role model who earned a living at her craft growing up, this book inspired me to push on with my creative endeavors with helpful 'challenges' to personally work through and understanding what creative cycles are, how to conquer 'saboteurs', and transcending rejections and roadblocks. My copy is so marked up with highlighting and notes in the margins. Great quotes throughout. Thank you Gail for writing this book-we need more enlightened creative women to channel more inspiring voices like this book-

McMeekin's book is a must for all who feel frustrated and stuck in their career. She takes you step by step through a process that helps you define your needs, your desires, and tap into your own creativity...you. Eight women read it as part of our book club and more than half of us are expanding our paths as a result. Incredible!

This is the best book I've read on the creative process, and as a creativity coach, I've read a lot of them. This is one of the very few 'self-help' books that I have read in its entirety, and I've gone back and reread it several times.
If you're looking for inspiration and a path to emerge as your authentic creative self, this is the book for you. Full of honest stories of women who have thrived creatively, The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women is an A-Z source book for navigating the ups and downs of the creative life.
I can't recommend it enough! Thanks to Gail for writing such a powerful book that holds up very well years after publication.

This is a wonderful book for any person struggling with career decisions. McMeekin provides the tools for rediscovering one's inner needs in a simple step-by-step manner. Her vignettes provided real life situations that anyone in that position can identify with. McMeekin guides you to your own true path. The book was truly an inspiration!

I've read many self help books but this one was different. McMeekin is an inspiration for all who feel locked into a path that doesn't fulfill. I highly recommend this book. It has truly changed my life and my priorities.

No more excuses. Whether you are a published author, have never written a word, or just want to get some thoughts on a page, Secrets of the Zona Rosa will change your life if you let it.

The lessons in these pages are are powerful, provocative, and positively practical because they are universal. This book is not just for writers. It is for everyone.

Willing students will learn how to free their trapped, inner demons - as well as angels - through the healing, therapeutic power of words in Rosemary's "Exorcises". These wonderful writing tools will allow you to celebrate yourself by helping you reveal facets of your soul you might not otherwise knew existed.

Rosemary Daniell is not afraid of writing and telling her truths. Neither should you be! A marvelous follow-up to The Woman Who Spilled Words All Over Herself, Secrets of the Zona Rosa will make you laugh. Sometimes, it will make you cringe - with a smile. Most of all, it will make you write. Read it, apply it, and gain the power to tell your story!

My hand reached for this book as if it were a divining rod to grab onto something to help me find the way out of the darkness I was in...
Reading other women's stories of finding their true ALPHA voice gave me courage, confidence and broke the isolation of going it alone...
Rosemary recounts stories or events that are sometimes disturbing, painfully truthful, colorful and full of the true paths that many women have been on. Sometimes, the passages I read would haunt me through the day, but motivated me to read on to gain wisdom and life lessons.
You will not be disappointed in this book...it is worth it's weight in gold...!

Rosemary Daniell is a fascinating woman with wild and unbroken energy in terms of her life and her writing. This energy along with a sharp focus for writing is establishing an example for women around the world to follow. Essentially, she is (and has been for years) writing her way through what, in part, seems to be the unconscious shadow of a civilization who for hundreds of years has not freely admitted the feminine into it most prized corners of culture and art, particularly in the south.
In her books, as in her teachings at numerous talks and workshops across the country and in Europe, Rosemary Daniell lifts the ordinary of life to the sacred and then she brings the sacred back to the ordinary as she connects writers and ideas from all areas of life.
All in all, her latest book, "Secrets of The Zona Rosa How Writing (and Sisterhood) Can Change Women's Lives" presents not only a way to show up for your writing but for your life as well. Rosemary uses numerous quotes from other writers, such as Georgia O'keefee, Natalie Goldberg, and Menander to support the points of stories and ideas that make up the book.
"Secrets" is huge in terms of information for beginning as well as "old" writers. And there is laughter throughout the book, belly laughter rolling off pages of this book even in the midst of a painful story being told by Rosemary about writers and writing.
Carefully laid into the pages of heart-wrenching truths and the gut-splitting laughter are also guidelines and "exorcises" as well as the most sinful but delicious recipe for Strawberry Cream Cake--the Official Zona Rosa Dessert.
This book is so rich with ideas and stories that it will take years for its contents to settle within our culture but when it does, and as it does, it will take hold and become part of the anchoring force of great writers and great women who create (and a few great men who are willing to wear pink and the ZR tattoed across their hearts).
Every women should have this book as a guide for living; every woman writer should stop what she is doing right now and go out and get this book if she doesn't already have the book. Ryder J Finnegan,Ph.D./Writer/ Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Rosemary uses humor and honesty to provide writers with a good dose of tonic that will revitalize their writing techniques and boost their morale. Her exorcises are helpful in discovering one's own creative self. Her book shares her experiences as well as those of some of her fellow Zona Rosans and her determination to help women improve their writing is evident in her book. Her tone is always encouraging and supportive. I found her book to be one I return to again and again.

When you pick up a copy of Secrets of the Zona Rosa, better pick up two or three extra notebooks and a box of pens or pencils because you are about to start writing.

It's hard to imagine not getting itchy writing fingers while reading the intriguing titles in the table of contents: "We are all doors until someone slams us," "If I was really wild," and "If I thought like a guy."

Rosemary Daniell is an intriguing and powerful woman. She writes her own truths and invites other women to do the same. No, she doesn't invite; she insists. And insistence is hard to resist.

I first met Rosemary Daniell in the pages of her 1997 book, The Woman Who Spilled Words All Over Herself: Writing and Living the Zona Rosa Way. It headed this fallen-away writer back on the writing road. For several years, I was a member of Rosemary's Atlanta Zona Rosa group. It is with real joy I welcome this book, as will other readers of this author's works. Those who have not had the fun and challenge of working their way through Rosemary's exercises--and exorcises--will soon share our enthusiasm.

Rosemary took the name Zona Rosa for the writing groups and workshops that she leads from the bohemian quarter of Mexico City, but she gives it the additional meaning of the "feminine zone," where women (and not a few men) explore using writing not only as a challenging, creative activity but also "as a tool for healing."

Secrets explains how her mother's suicide inspired her to explore her own life and truths through writing, and how the knowledge of her mother's frustrations and sadness over a lost ambition to write led her to devote her time and talents to helping other women not only fulfill their dreams of writing, but also to hone their skills in practical ways. Rosemary, already a published poet, was leading a writing workshop for women prisoners when she learned of her mother's overdose.

"I felt once more how little she--like the women in the prison--had been able to tell of her own truths. How little permission she had been given--whether by herself or others--to express them.

Although I didn't know it yet, Zona Rosa was born in that moment; an unrealized passion that would lead me to spend much of the rest of my life seeking to help women like Mother and women in prisons of all kinds to achieve their dreams."

Rosemary does not and did not flinch at telling her own truths. She spent the next three years of her life writing a memoir, Fatal Flowers: On Sin, Sex, and Suicide in the Deep South, inspired by her mother's death. Not long afterwards, Rosemary began leading a small group of writing women. Zona Rosa was born.

This book tells Rosemary's story and more. She looks back over the nearly twenty-five years of Zona Rona writers and shares (with their permission) the moving tales of how their writing has changed their lives. There are sad stories and stories of triumph, all of them fascinating.

This is not, though, a book of stories. We find guidance and guidelines that all writers, novice or expert, use with relish.

While the book deals with serious subjects, it is filled with Rosemary's wit and humor. "Pilates on Paper" first appears in Chapter 1, and the reader becomes the writer before she turns the page. (Remember my warning about new notebooks and pens!) "Book Therapy" appears regularly with reading suggestions and guidance. Writing exercises (or exorcises as Zona Rosans call them) appear throughout. Toward the end of the book, Rosemary addresses "The Emotional Tai Chi of Getting Your Work Out There"--excellent advice on finishing and submitting our work when it is ready (and we are ready for it) to be shared with the world.

Attending a Zona Rosa group or workshop is an exhilarating experience, but so is reading and writing from this book. I recommend it wholeheartedly.

by Patricia Nordyke Pando
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

Although this book was written in the 1960s, it is, still, very relevant today. This book was recommended to me back in 1983 or 1984 when I was in the military. I bought it with a number of other books. It took me twenty years to read it. I should have read it alot sooner; but, the rigors of life and the fact that a good many other books I bought kept pushing this one further back on the reading list. I grew up in the streets of NYC and saw his life being played out in a number of guys and gals I hung out with at that time. I didn't get caught up in the drug scene nor in the gangsta scene but, like the author, there was a lot going on outside the walls of the house to keep me outside nearly all day. Yeah this world was much newer for me then rather than now but I had to see what was going on within and without my neighborhood. As a parent looking at my kid, I know this world is new to them, which I can't shelter them from. As my kids look at me as their parent, they are constantly telling me to get out of their way. I want to see what is going out there. This only helps me to keep life real for them with a dose of non-reality here and there. Fortunately for Claude Brown, the street made him wise and through his book some of us can reminesce about those days and explain to others what urban life was like for us and how it made us what we are today. For others who have not experienced this urban lifestyle, take the book for what it is and re-evaluate your own experiences in hopes of passing on a reality check of your own life to your children.

This is an awesome book that I highly recommend to all young men trying to find their "way". It can be a little harsh, but it is about life in the inner city and a young man becoming a man.

Claude Brown's slightly fictionalized autobiography recounts his childhood and early adulthood throughout the 1940s and 1950s. Manchild in the Promised Land also documents the changing atmosphere of Harlem and the people it affected. Brown tells stories of himself as a hell-raiser, involved in theft and drug dealing, and spending time in juvenile detention centers like Wiltwyck and Warwick. He was able to establish a feared and respected name for himself both among the streetwalkers of Harlem and the inmates of the reform schools. Lacking formal education (resulting from years of playing hooky) and idolizing the criminal elements around him, he seemed to be heading down a short road of vice and danger.

Only after Brown moved to Greenwich Village shortly before turning twenty was he able to begin viewing Harlem with a more objective eye, and see the factors that led him down the downward spiral he had been traveling. One of the main reasons Brown believes he and his friends were wrought with such violence and recklessness is due to the mentality imported by their parents from the South. The thing that mattered most to them was fighting: for one's money, girl/family, and manhood (Brown 260). He feels that that rural mentality had been brought to a crowded city life that was not only incompatible with the setting, but also destructive. He laments, "it seems as though if I had stayed in Harlem all my life, I might have never known that there was anything else to life other than sex, religion, liquor, and violence" (Brown 281).

As a youth, Brown excelled in these very base attributes. It wasn't until the introduction of heroine, or "horse," as it was first introduced in the early 1950s, that he feels Harlem truly became unable to cope with their values. Instead of young men fighting for honor, they were killing and robbing for money to sustain their overwhelming addictions, introducing more guns into the neighborhood with desperate people wielding them. He witnessed his friends begin to fade away into scratching, nodding junkies. However, by this time Brown was able to leave and slowly break away from the crumbling Harlem he once knew, watching from afar many of the individuals he once hustled with fall victim to the crimes they themselves would perpetrate.

Many opted instead to stay in Harlem and live the street life. He attributes this to the attitudes of whites outside Harlem and the racism they encountered. To live a "clean" life usually meant to work for a white man who underpaid, referred to them in a racially derogatory manner, and made them perform the most labor intensive tasks. When it came to these prospects, most understandably chose the life of a self-employed drug dealer in Harlem over the self-effacing menial work elsewhere, despite the danger (Brown 287).

Where some people turned to drugs or religion to deal with these problems, Brown found his calling through more established and secular means. Education and music became outlets for him to express himself, gain a self-pride through non-criminal means, and eventually lead to a promising career as a lawyer and author.

One of the things that make this autobiography interesting is its use of language. Brown writes in a notable street dialect, however, the language itself evolves with the character. For instance, "cat" slowly comes into use around page 67 and is used throughout, though it receives less use towards the end. More notably, on page 109 the young Claude begins idolizing a street pimp named Johnny: "To Johnny, every chick was a b*tch. Even mothers were b*tches." And so on page 114 Brown writes "Jackie was a beautiful black b*tch." From then on women are regularly referred to as "b*tches" until the character matures enough to treat women with more respect, and Johnny's spell seems to have completely worn off by the time Brown falls in love with a fellow student. Likewise, the sentence structures become less erratic and grow in sophistication as the book goes on, using less slang chapter by chapter when he begins to change. This seems to be by design.

Claude Brown's personal accounts are no doubt fictionalized to some degree, for his characters go on exhaustive speeches several times, and he certainly didn't tape record them for every word. However, Brown's intentions are to present Harlem and its difficulties in approachable and creative ways. To allow readers (such as white-suburban-me) an inside look into the ways of urban life it invites an understanding and, hopefully, sympathy for the situations of the junkies, prostitutes, and drug dealers that we pass on the street. He shows them in a way that cannot be easily neglected, in intimate, personal relationships that reveal the influences and regrets that have placed them in those situations. These factors were not unique to the 1940s and 1950s. They existed before and do so today. Brown allows insight into the hardships while telling an encouraging tale of one who made it out. By personal drive and education, through art and self-expression (as this book is), he shows that the situation is not dire, but attitudes must change before the world will follow.

I can't believe I didn't write a review for a book I read 10 years ago. This is one of my favorite books. It was this one book that drew me into reading books and becoming a book lover. One of the best books I ever read. Highly Recommended!!

I was able to find this book relatively easy, based on a few keywords. My boyfriend started reading it several years ago and was unable to complete it. The storyline stuck in his memory and I bought it as a surprise for him, because over the years he mentioned it occasionally. Thanks for making the lookup so easy!

Down These Mean Streets is the story of Piri Thomas' journey into adulthood. The book is set in Spanish Harlem in the 1940s. The author's writing style is refreshing and lyrical. He uses some Spanish words here and there(readers might find the glossary in the back of the book helpful), and kicks in a few slang words as well, which makes the dialogs that much more genuine.

Piri struggles through poverty, family troubles, and desperately wanting to belong. He fights with being a dark skinned Puerto Rican during a time when racism was strong, and trying to find his place as neither black nor white. Piri did some not-so-good things in his life, being in a gang, drug addiction, and armed robbery among other things, but throughout it all it is easy to tell that Piri is a good guy at heart.

Overall, this is a captivating story. You might find yourself wondering what you would have done faced with the same situations. I even found myself rooting for Piri at times. This book is still a very accurate depiction of "the hoods" of New York, despite being published for the first time about 40 years ago.

I was sad to have to finish the book, and in the end I felt like I knew Piri. I look forward to re-reading this book over the years. It is truly a classic. Everyone should read it. Anyone can find something in the story that they will be able to relate to.

This book really told me what it was like to live in Harlem in the 40s. The discrimination and racism is real and raw (although Mr Thomas does get a little jaded and think all white people are bad). The way he describes coming off heroin is realistic, colorful, and explosive. This whole book is very alive, as a memoir. It was funny to see the slang they used back then!

I've read this book more than a few times and have taught it to different level readers a few extra times. There was one high school student who came to me after the book was done and told me, "This is the first book I ever finished." Even if it's not the first book you've read, you'll find writing that is fearless, honest, and powerful. You won't forget it, and if you're really lucky, you'll get to share it with someone else.

Grabbed it off my english teachers shelf junior year of high school, loved it so much I never gave it back. This is an amazingly wonderful book. Vivid writing style...I could see every last detail in my head. It was like a movie in my brain. Love it.

Book Review: Down These Mean Streets

We recommend this book because Piri Thomas wrote the book in a way that you can visualize the story. This book is interesting because it talks about a young Latino's life growing up in the streets of Harlem New York in the 30's. However Piri the main character in the story gets discriminated throughout his young life for being a black Puerto Rican. We think this book has some strong scenes suitable for children under 13. Little by little the story gets interesting to the point where you don't want to stop reading. To conclude, this story is a good autobiography to learn from

"The House that Love Built" is a testament to what God can do through open and willing minds and hearts. Bettie B. Youngs takes Millard and Linda Fuller from their childhood years through college and huge financial success to a crisis that led eventually to a radical new way of living.

In 1968 the Fullers, working closely with Clarence Jordan, co-founder of the Christian community Koinonia outside Americus, GA, laid the foundations for what would become Habitat for Humanity. The world-wide success of Habitat for Humanity under the Fullers' leadership is legendary, but in 2005 the Fullers were fired by the Board of Habitat for Humanity International, who wanted the organization to look more like big business than a Christian ministry. Youngs is able to relate the facts behind this shameful ouster without bitterness or recrimination--and to tell of the Fullers' faithfulness to God's call to eliminate poverty housing throug the newly organized Fuller Center for Housing. An inspiring story of faith at work and of the power of God to transform lives.

Sweet story of the founders of Habitat for Humanity. I loved how he learned so much in business and was able to walk away from it all to become greater than the norm. They have drive and I'm happy they pulled so many behind to make the world better for everyone. More of this!

Millard and Linda Fuller's life story is an inspirational account of their lives and their calling. It is amazing to read how they gave up so much, created a truly ingenious way to help people help themselves, and overcome all of the obstacles thrown in their path. To be treated so poorly by the organization they created and then move on to start all over again shows what faith and the Holy Spirit can accomplish!
After reading their story I am challenged every day to live up to their example!
The book is well written and easy to read, and I highly recommend it.

From beginning to end this amazing story of unwavering love and faith speaks to anyone who has ever held a dream in their heart. The Fullers are truly fascinating and inspiring people. It was vicious what the Board did to them when they were ousted out of their own agency, but they simply rose from the ashes. As would be expected of these two. Thank you for telling the story, it is well worth the read.

A great read for anyone looking for guidance in the area of what to do with their lives that truly matters. The story of Millard and Linda Fuller and their journey that ultimately built Habitat for Humanity is a story worth telling anyone you can find. This is not just a "feel good" story but one that also points out that doing something good with our lives is not always easy. I appreciated most the willingness of the Fullers to share what really went on without any sugarcoating.

Faith in action is what this book is all about.

A very powerful book that reveals both love and hate for mankind. The book uncovers atrocious inhumane behavior by powerful people past and present. We "The People" need to make the difference in todays society to live and let live, to overcome our prejudices and love thy neighbor. I started reading this book slowly and about 1/4 way through it I could not put it down. Thank you Arnold Abbott

WHEN IN DOUBT...BLAME A JEW!: A PERSONAL AND PEOPLE'S MEMOIR OF ANTI-SEMITISM Real-life, historical, and detailed perspective of Anti-Semitism in America and beyond. Clear sources--profound thinking make this a great read for those intrested in Judism, social enlightenment/awareness, or history in general. Includes glossary.

"When in Doubt...Blame a Jew!" was one of the most enlightening and educational books I have read. I am of Jewish faith, went to Hebrew school, and was bat-mitzvah'd but never have I gained as much insight about the Jewish religion as I did from reading this book. It covered the history in great depth and also added humor which really made it a pleasure to read. The author's ability to relay his own first hand accounts and experiences made the journey even more enjoyable. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone who wants to gain knowledge of the Jewish religion, humor, persecution, achievements, and the many ignorant anti-semitic individuals who took the time to hate instead of learn and understand.

When in Doubt...Blame a Jew has been helpful in teaching me and connecting many historical lessons. Although I considered my knowledge of our history to be fairly broad, this book provides depth, a way to place events in context. I especially liked the listing of famous Jews and Jew-haters which are helpful in teaching my children both pride and caution.

Our story, clearly and fairly written. A good guide for those of us who think that we are fully assimilated, it teaches us just how true that is.

Reading this book makes you feel like you're sitting at your grandfather's feet taking a vicarious journey through history. Although I believe in Jesus Christ, I appreciate the value of Jewish history. Mr. Abbott's account of the Jewish struggle is written in a non-apologetic tone. I especially liked his exposé on hate-based ideologies and important figures like Mr. Ford. Mr. Abbott talks straight and not crooked. His straight-talk is also evidenced by the pictures, which are heart-wrenching and left me speechless.

The fact that Mr. Abbott actually fought against bigotry makes me respect his writing even more. This book is a must read for anyone who wants an easy-to-read personal account of the plight of the Jews (with a little humor on the side).